"A $1.40 feeds somebody a meal, $18 takes care of a person for a day, so those little amounts of money add up big in somebody's life," Haven President George Block said.

City officials say the program is a perfect fit. With a tight economy, people are often more willing to give smaller amounts in change than write larger checks.

"We all know that small donations, micro-donations, really add up," City Councilman Diego Bernal said. "And so if you can imagine these meters filling up every three or four days, it's a fair amount of money that can go to Haven for Hope right away."